Zen Ink Octopuses by Seisen – Japanese Suibokuga on Shikishi Board – 1950s–70s

This captivating Japanese ink painting (suibokuga) features three abstract octopuses, each rendered with a single brushstroke in a bold, expressive style. Though minimal in form, the creatures pulse with life and movement – their sweeping tentacles suggest swift motion through water, and the rich texture of ink recalls the natural burst of defense from an octopus.

The artist plays with both motion and metaphor: each octopus seems to emerge from a single gesture — ephemeral yet complete.

At the top of the work appears a meditative inscription:

筆必 – Fude hitsu (“Inevitability of the brush”)
一本生 – Ippon shō (“Life from a single source”)

Together, they express a Zen understanding of art and being: just as an octopus must ink, the brush must mark; in each stroke lies life itself.

Signed 清泉作 – Seisen saku (“Made by Seisen”) — this is the artist’s gō (art-name), meaning “pure spring”. The work is likely from the 1950s–70s (late Shōwa era), and reflects the literati painting tradition with a spontaneous, playful twist.

– Ink on traditional shikishi board
– Dimensions approx. 18 × 21 cm
– No frame; verso blank
– Safe and tracked shipping from Latvia (Riga Gallery of Japanese Art CloudyYokomido)


For US buyers: this item enters the United States duty-free.